Lawmaker Jung Junho Proposes Relocating KT Following Gwangju-Jeonnam Administrative Integration

Raising the need to relocate major conglomerates from the Seoul metropolitan area to the provinces
Calling for relocating KT to Gwangju-Jeonnam as an AI and digital hub

Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Junho has proposed relocating KT to the integrated Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative region as the first case of a major conglomerate moving following the Gwangju-Jeonnam administrative integration.

On the 4th, Democratic Party National Assembly member Jung Junho (Gwangju Buk-gu Gap, member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee) said that the integrated special city of Jeonnam and Gwangju could become a mega-regional hub leading Korea's grand transition in AI, digital, and energy. He announced that, on this basis, he had proposed relocating KT to the Gwangju-Jeonnam region, noting that the company combines public interest with national strategic importance.

Jung Junho, Member of the National Assembly, Democratic Party of Korea.

Lawmaker Jung explained that although KT is a privatized company, it effectively performs a role equivalent to a quasi-public institution in operating the national backbone telecommunications network, providing public and disaster communications, and building digital infrastructure. Currently, about 7,400 employees (including subsidiaries) of KT are based in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Jongno in Seoul and Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province.

With the launch of the integrated special city of Jeonnam and Gwangju approaching, Jung stressed that, in order to achieve tangible results in balanced national development, the relocation of large corporations concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area to regional areas must be actively pursued. His view is that if companies like KT take the lead in relocating, it will enhance trust in the national balanced development policy.

He also presented the conditions in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region. Jung explained that Gwangju-Jeonnam hosts a national AI convergence complex and AI data centers, and that it has secured a stable power infrastructure based on renewable energy, as well as strong policy execution capacity stemming from the mega-regional administrative integration. He stated that these conditions are structurally aligned with KT's core future businesses in AI, cloud, data centers, smart cities, and public communications.

Jung stated that the telecommunications and data industry is not one that needs to be concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area. He argued that rising labor, land, and power costs caused by overconcentration in the capital region are actually undermining corporate competitiveness, and that relocating to Gwangju-Jeonnam is not a measure that burdens companies but a strategic choice that will enhance their competitiveness in the medium to long term.

He also pointed out that KT's relocation would not simply end with moving its headquarters, but could lead to a chain relocation of partner IT companies, startups, and research institutions. He explained that this could serve as an opportunity for the integrated special city of Jeonnam and Gwangju to leap forward as a center of the AI and digital industries.

Jung added that the proposal is also in line with the government's ongoing "5 Poles, 3 Special Zones" national balanced development strategy, mega-regional integration incentives, and AI and energy transition policies. He said it is time to prove balanced national development not just through declarations, but through concrete actions such as corporate relocation.

Jung said, "Relocating KT is not an act of consideration for a particular region, but an investment in the nation's future," adding, "With the launch of the integrated special city of Jeonnam and Gwangju, I will actively discuss with the government a phased and realistic relocation model."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.